2021 Boat Race

[lt.wolf]

The Boat Race 2021 to be raced at Ely, Cambridgeshire

London, 26 November 2020. The Boat Race Company Limited (BRCL) today announced that The Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge will be held on the Great Ouse at Ely in April 2021. The event will see the 166th Men’s and the 75th Women’s boat races.

https://www.theboatrace.org/news/the-bo ... ridgeshire

[KitD]

A very different kind of race. About 5km, roughly dead straight, and very little stream.

[fatsculler]

Crews have been named for this year's race:

Men's race

CUBC
cox: Charlie Marcus GB
Stroke: Drew Taylor USA (Stanford)
7: Callum Sullivan GB (President)
6: Ollie Parish GB
5: Garth Holden RSA
4: Quinten Richardson CAN (Brown)
3: Seb Benzecry GB (Princeton)
2: Ben Dyer GB
Bow: Theo Weinberger GB

OUBC
cox: Jesse Oberst USA (Harvard)
Stroke: Augustin Wambersie BEL (Princeton)
7: Joshua Bowesman-Jones GB
6: Jean-Phillippe Dufour CH/CAN
5: Tobias Schroeder GB
4: Felix Drinkall GB
3: Martin Barasko CAN (Princeton)
2: Alex Bebb CAN (President) Cornell
Bow: James Forward GB

Oxford look to have a very experienced boat, Schroeder and Drinkall are both Blues and Barasko is the only senior international in either crew. My money is on the Dark Blues.

Women's Race

CUBC
cox: Dylan Whittaker GB
Stroke: Sarah Tisdall AUS (Harvard)
7: Bronya Sykes GB
6: Sophie Paine GB (President) Brown
5: Anouschka Fenley GB (UW)
4: Caoimhe Dempsey IRL
3: Abigail Parker USA (Harvard)
2: Sarah Portsmouth GB
Bow: Adriana Perez-Rotundo ESP

OUWBC
cox: Costi Levy GB/ITA
Stroke: Katherine Maitland GB
7: Katie Anderson GB
6: Georgina Grant GB
5: Julia Lindsay CAN
4: Amelia Standing GB
3: Martha Birtles GB
2: Anja Zehfuss USA (Stanford)
Bow: Megan Stoker GB

Cambridge look to be the far stronger crew, I think they will win quite comfortably.

[fatsculler]

The Boat Race organisers and Police are stressing that the event is closed and spectators are not allowed. Anyone caught on the towpath faces a £200 fine. But this policy verges on the farcical as homeowners whose gardens back onto the river have been sent letters telling them they are banned from going into their own gardens to watch the race. Utterly ridiculous.

[lt.wolf]

They should call the authorities with noise complaints

[limegreenspeed]

Impressive rowing from both Cambridge crews. Credit to Rob Baker, the Cambridge men were very well drilled. For a bit during the middle it looked like Oxford might reel them back in but they couldn't seem to do it.

[Withoutmercy]

Sweeper of a regatta for the light blues.
What a great course for a race.
I would like to see more of that, Mano v. Mano!
It puts the emphasis on good rowing and boat speed.

[KitD]

Both Cambridge crews looked like they enjoyed being on their home stretch. Oxford looked far less at ease in comparison.

[Long'n Strong]

...

[mellowjohnny]

The Cambridge men's blue boat showed great quality from a technical standpoint today. Sharp bladework with a dynamic and relaxed rhythm won the day. Picking up where Trapmore left off, Rob Baker has done a nice job getting his crew to row well especially when you compare them to Oxford. Sean Bowden's blue boats haven't looked up to the standard that CUBC has set the last few years, even if they are very fit and well trained from a physiological standpoint.

[Almostflipped]

For a bit during the middle it looked like Oxford might reel them back in but they couldn't seem to do it.

Seemed to occur as Cambridge had to steer to the East bank to avoid those weeds. I think it was added distance rather than Oxford being faster and once they got on line again, Cambridge pulled back away.

Right from the get go, Cambridge was moving better. The Oxford start looked much rougher and Cambridge got right out and never let up.

[socalstroke]

Sweeper of a regatta for the light blues.
What a great course for a race.
I would like to see more of that, Mano v. Mano!
It puts the emphasis on good rowing and boat speed.

also enjoyed the move away from the tideway. Wouldn't mind if the contest didn't return for a while.

[KitD]

Sweeper of a regatta for the light blues.
What a great course for a race.
I would like to see more of that, Mano v. Mano!
It puts the emphasis on good rowing and boat speed.

also enjoyed the move away from the tideway. Wouldn't mind if the contest didn't return for a while.

I've seen a few comments from rowers on this side of the pond saying the same.

AIUI the organisers assessed a few venues before settling on Ely, some of which would be superb. Scottish lochs, the Lake District, the River Dart in Devon.

Maybe alternate , or once every quadrennial .

[fullmetal]

I was surprised the Cambridge boat slewed to port after crossing the finish line -- I had thought the wind was blowing the other way, and the current should have run true. If it wasn't drag from the boat, it might have explained some of Cambridge's near-encroachment despite the deliberate tactical move to take the center stream.

Little bit of rushing from the three and five seats in the Oxford boat...little bit of hanging the catch more in the Oxford boat...that all adds up. Cambridge also seemed to be holding a slightly higher rating? It worked.

I don't imagine Hammersmith Bridge will be quickly or easily repaired, so the Boat Race organizers will have their hands full. I do appreciate the public access that the Tideway course affords. Rowing isn't a sport suffering from too much exposure.

Credit Oxford for hanging tough despite getting washed down. Congrats to Cambridge for a brilliantly executed race!

[fatsculler]

Sweeper of a regatta for the light blues.
What a great course for a race.
I would like to see more of that, Mano v. Mano!
It puts the emphasis on good rowing and boat speed.

also enjoyed the move away from the tideway. Wouldn't mind if the contest didn't return for a while.

I've seen a few comments from rowers on this side of the pond saying the same.

AIUI the organisers assessed a few venues before settling on Ely, some of which would be superb. Scottish lochs, the Lake District, the River Dart in Devon.

Maybe alternate , or once every quadrennial .

I think one of the reasons for choosing the Great Ouse in Ely was the relative remoteness made it easier to stop crowds gathering to watch (plus there is history there with the 1944 race being held on that stretch). It would be good to see it held in different venues, and given it's unlikely that Hammersmith Bridge will be fixed in the next 1 months I think a different location for the 2022 race is highly likely.